Local Zika Case Pinellas County Florida

niman · August 23, 2016

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is investigating five new non-travel related cases of Zika. One of these cases is in Pinellas County and four cases are in the impacted area in Wynwood. DOH has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County and mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also taking place. DOH still believes ongoing active transmission is only taking place within the small identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County. More details will be announced when the Pinellas County investigation concludes.

http://www.flgov.com/2016/08/23/gov-scott-doh-identifies-local-transmission-of-zika-in-pinellas-county-significantly-reduces-wynwood-area/

niman · August 23, 2016

GOV. SCOTT: DOH IDENTIFIES LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF ZIKA IN PINELLAS COUNTY; SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES WYNWOOD AREA

On August 23, 2016, in News Releases, by Staff

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is investigating five new non-travel related cases of Zika. One of these cases is in Pinellas County and four cases are in the impacted area in Wynwood. DOH has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County and mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also taking place. DOH still believes ongoing active transmission is only taking place within the small identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County. More details will be announced when the Pinellas County investigation concludes.

Governor Scott also announced that following further testing and no evidence of continued active transmission, DOH is able to clear nearly the entire perimeter of the area in Wynwood. The total area that DOH has cleared in Wynwood is now 76 blocks (see maps below). This makes the impacted area in Wynwood now approximately 0.5 square mile. The total number of local transmissions of Zika in Florida is 42.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, we learned that the Florida Department of Health is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County. While this investigation is ongoing, DOH still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach. As we’ve seen in Wynwood, our aggressive mosquito control and public education efforts are working which is why DOH was able to clear a significant area in Wynwood today, bringing the total cleared area to 76 blocks. This means that we have now cleared half of the area in Wynwood where we believe ongoing active transmission of Zika is occurring. This is great news and we hope to continue reducing this area.

“In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts. Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities.”

Any Pinellas County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Pinellas County Mosquito Control HERE.

Click HERE to see a detailed timeline of actions taken by Governor Scott to combat the Zika virus in Florida.

STATE OF FLORIDA

(Original Wynwood perimeter included for reference. Smaller shaded area in Wynwood remains under investigation.)

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

(Original Wynwood perimeter included for reference. Smaller shaded area in Wynwood remains under investigation.)

niman · August 23, 2016

Florida: 5 new Zika cases including 1 in the Tampa Bay area

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Published: Tue, August 23, 2016 @ 11:33 a.m.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s governor says that state has confirmed five new non-travel-related cases of Zika, including one in the Tampa Bay area, though officials aren’t so far declaring that a zone of active local transmission.

Gov. Rick Scott said at a Zika roundtable in the Tampa area’s Pinellas County that four new cases were connected to mosquitoes in Miami’s Wynwood arts district. He says the fifth was diagnosed in a Pinellas County resident who hasn’t traveled internationally. Last week health officials announced five cases of Zika were linked to mosquitoes in Miami Beach.

Officials are looking into the possibility that the Pinellas County resident was infected with the virus in a neighboring county.

Zika can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy.

- See more at: http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/aug/23/florida-5-new-zika-cases-including-1-tampa-bay-are/?nw#sthash.f3YaVFkI.dpuf

niman · August 23, 2016

Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ

niman · August 23, 2016

Florida confirms 5 new cases of Zika, 1 reported outside transmission zones

Published August 23, 2016

FoxNews.com

Florida is investigating whether there is possibly a third active transmission zone in Miami-Dade County; Phil Keating reports for 'Special Report'

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Zika infection zone continues to grow in South Florida

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday that the state has confirmed five new non-travel related cases of Zika, including one in the Tampa Bay area, though officials have not declared that a zone of active local transmission.

Scott said at a Zika roundtable held in the Tampa area’s Pinellas County that four new cases were connected to mosquitoes in Miami’s Wynwood arts district. He says the fifth was diagnosed in a Pinellas County resident who hasn’t traveled internationally. Officials are looking into the possibility that the Pinellas County resident was infected with the virus in a neighboring county.

The news comes just a day after Scott called on federal health officials to send the state more resources to fight the growing transmission of Zika virus. The Miami Herald reported that Florida is still waiting for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to send the state an additional 5,000 Zika antibody tests and 10,000 Zika prevention kits, as well as a promised $5 million in funding, to help combat Zika.

The number of locally transmitted cases in Wynwood and Miami Beach had reached 37, but Tuesday’s addition of four new cases brings the total to 41. State officials had predicted Monday that the number will rise in the coming weeks without swift mosquito eradication in the area.

The CDC is expected to fulfill Scott’s order for the additional supplies on Tuesday, the Herald reported.

More on this...

On Monday at a senior center in Wynwood, the neighborhood where the continental U.S. saw its first local Zika transmission earlier this summer, Scott met with U.S. Reps. Frederica Wilson (D), Carlos Curbelo (R), Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine.

The Herald reported that among the conversations that took place during the meeting, Levine criticized Scott for not keeping the city informed of new local Zika cases as they arise.

“It’s important that myself, the city manager, [and] our counterparts at the county are getting timely, accurate information as fast as possible,” Levine said during the meeting, according to the Herald. “As you know, we have our constituents. We have our businesses ... we’ve just got to have that information.”

Scott had told reporters a few hours earlier that he had publicly announced the Miami Beach cases within hours of their confirmation Friday morning. He responded to Levine’s concerns after the meeting by criticizing him for not attending previous local meetings organized to address Zika.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/08/23/as-zika-concerns-grow-florida-governor-pressures-feds-for-more-resources.html

niman · August 23, 2016

Non-travel Zika virus case reported in Pinellas County

Arek Sarkissian, [email protected]; 850-559-762011:31 a.m. EDT August 23, 2016

TALLAHASSEE -- There were five new non-travel related cases of the Zika virus reported in Florida on Tuesday, one of them in Pinellas County, Gov. Rick Scott announced.

Four other cases of non-travel related to Zika were reported in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. That was the first area where Florida Department of Health officials identified as a place where local transmissions of the virus were taking place.

Scott said the state DOH does not believe the case in Pinellas County was not an active transmission. Active transmissions are only occurring in Wynwood and Miami Beach, which was officially identified on Friday.

“In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and the Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts,” Scott said in a news release sent from Clearwater.

The state DOH reported on Monday there were 37 non-travel related Zika cases around the state. Another 494 cases were travel related. The difference between the two classifications is where the person contracted the disease. People were previously contracting Zika while traveling to tropical areas where it is prevalent. By the end of June, the first Florida-grown cases were being reported.

There were eight travel-related Zika cases reported in Lee County as of Tuesday and there were another four in Collier County.

Zika can be transmitted by sexual contact and a certain type of mosquito more common in South Florida. Areas like Wynwood, where locally transmitted cases first appeared, have seen heavy mosquito abatement measures, and those measures have now been spread to a heavily populated stretch of Miami Beach and Pinellas County.

Scott’s official schedule has been dominated by updates on Zika preparedness around the state. He also has a Tuesday phone conference scheduled with Visit Florida that is not open to the public.

County health departments are offering free Zika tests to pregnant women. There are also free Zika preparedness kits that include bug spray, condoms and insect nets.

http://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/health/2016/08/23/non-travel-zika-virus-case-reported-pinellas-county/89200692/

niman · August 23, 2016

Gov. Scott: Non-travel related Zika case in Pinellas County

First Coast News , WTLV 9:45 AM. EST August 23, 2016

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- On Tuesday, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is investigating five new non-travel related cases of Zika.

One of these cases is in Pinellas County and four cases are in the impacted area in Wynwood.

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, we learned that the Florida Department of Health is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County. While this investigation is ongoing, DOH still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach. As we’ve seen in Wynwood, our aggressive mosquito control and public education efforts are working which is why DOH was able to clear a significant area in Wynwood today, bringing the total cleared area to 76 blocks. This means that we have now cleared half of the area in Wynwood where we believe ongoing active transmission of Zika is occurring. This is great news and we hope to continue reducing this area."

“In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts. Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities.”

Any Pinellas County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Pinellas County Mosquito Control HERE.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/health/gov-scott-non-travel-related-zika-case-in-pinellas-county/305727092

niman · August 23, 2016

Non-travel related Zika case reported in Pinellas County

10News WTSP staff and Emerald Morrow, WTSP 10:09 AM. EST August 23, 2016

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WTSP) -- Following a roundtable discussion with Bay area health leaders Tuesday morning, Gov. Scott announced that the Florida Department of Health (DOH) is investigating five new non-travel related cases of Zika. One of these cases is in Pinellas County and four cases are in the impacted area in Wynwood.

The DOH has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County.

“In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts. Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities,” Gov. Scott said Tuesday.

Any Pinellas County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Pinellas County Mosquito Control.

The DOH still believes ongoing active transmission is only taking place within the small identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County.

Gov. Scott also said that following further testing and no evidence of continued active transmission, the DOH is able to clear nearly the entire perimeter of the area in Wynwood. The total area that the DOH has cleared in Wynwood is now 76 blocks. This makes the impacted area in Wynwood now approximately 0.5 square miles.

The total number of local transmissions of Zika in Florida is 42.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/florida/gov-scott-continues-zika-discussion-in-tampa-bay/305650767

niman · August 23, 2016

Non-travel related Zika case reported in Pinellas

By Jamel Lanee' and Jeff PattersonPublished: August 23, 2016, 10:55 am Updated: August 23, 2016, 12:31 pm

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Non-travel related cases of Zika virus are no longer confined to the Miami area. Pinellas County has its first case of non-travel related Zika, Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Tuesday.

Scott made the announcement during a Zika virus roundtable held Tuesday morning in Clearwater.

“Today, we learned that the Florida Department of Health is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County. While this investigation is ongoing, the DOH still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach,” said Governor Scott.

Scott went on to clarify and said efforts are underway to control mosquitoes.

“Now, just because we have one case here doesn’t mean we have local transmission. The next step is the department of health, the local department of health, working with mosquito control efforts, they will start doing aggressive mosquito control and they will be doing aggressive testing to find out if we have local transmission,” Scott added.

RELATED: Tampa obstetrician has Zika warning for women: ‘Delay getting pregnant’

The governor said that the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts in Pinellas County.

Scott said that pregnant women will be able to get a free Zika test kit. “Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities,” said Scott.

Any Pinellas County resident who would like to request mosquito control services for their residence or business should contact Pinellas County Mosquito Control. More details are here.

Governor Scott also said that there are four new non-travel related cases of Zika virus in the Miami-Dade area.

Scott has been traveling around the state hosting weekly discussions about the Zika virus.

http://wfla.com/2016/08/23/non-travel-related-zika-case-reported-in-pinellas/

Derek Shore · August 23, 2016

MIAMI - The Zika zone in Wynwood has shrunk as aerial larvicide spraying has decreased the amount of Zika virus-infected mosquitoes in the area, but new locally acquired cases in Florida at still being reported.

According to Gov. Rick Scott's office, a case of non-travel-related Zika has been found in Pinellas County.

More Zika Virus Headlines

Health officials said they are investigating where that case originated from and said they have already started aggressive spraying.

Meanwhile, the Zika zone in Wynwood shrunk Tuesday to about a half a square mile. In total, health officials have shrunk the Zika zone down by 76 blocks.

Still the governor said four new cases in the area have been reported, but sources told Local 10 News that these are likely old cases from earlier this month, that just recently got confirmed.

Some business leaders in Wynwood told Local 10 News reporter Derek Shore that they are happy that officials have shrunk the Zika zone, but think that there shouldn't be a Zika zone at all and that officials should be focusing on all of Miami-Dade County.

http://www.local10.com/health/zika-virus/zika-zone-in-wynwood-shrinks-as-new-non-travel-related-case-reported-in-pinellas-county

niman · August 23, 2016

Fears as Zika spreads HUNDREDS of miles away: Patient diagnosed with local infection 5 hours from Miami

Patient in Pinellas County 'has caught Zika from local mosquitoes'
It is an ominous sign that the virus could be rapidly scaling the US
Another 4 local infections also reported in Miami's Wynwood area

By MIA DE GRAAF FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 11:30 EST, 23 August 2016 | UPDATED: 11:38 EST, 23 August 2016

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Zika has spread hundreds of miles north of Miami, officials fear.

A patient has been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne infection in Pinellas County.

The area just outside Tampa is 265 miles away from Miami on the other side of the peninsula from the original outbreak zone.

The news, announced on Tuesday, is an ominous sign that the virus could be on the cusp of a rapid spread across the country.

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The five new cases bring Florida's total of locally transmitted Zika infections to 42

HOW SCHOOLS ARE BRACED FOR ZIKA TO STRIKE

Miami schools are giving long-sleeved shirts and pants to children to protect them from the Zika virus.

Classes started for fall on Monday in the city, the only place in mainland America with a local outbreak of the mosquito-borne infection.

During the first day, another two non-travel-related infections were reported by the state health department, bringing the total number to 37.

Throughout summer families have been warned to protect themselves and their children with bug spray and clothing.

But now the onus falls on teachers to protect the 7,600 students attending school in the two outbreak zones.

Speaking at a press conference, Florida Governor Rick Scott also said there were four new cases of Zika in Wynwood, the Miami neighborhood where doctors first spotted the virus.

Officials have been aggressively spraying Wynwood for the mosquitoes that carry the virus since mid-July.

Despite their efforts, non-travel-related infections have now been detected in the tourist hotspot of Miami Beach.

And now, it seems efforts to contain Zika have been scuppered.

The state department of health has begun door-to-door outreach in Pinellas County, testing individuals to find other cases, Scott said in a statement.

He added that mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also taking place.

Pinellas County is home to St Petersburg, a popular tourist destination.

'DOH still believes ongoing active transmission is only taking place within the small identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County,' the goveronor's statement said.

The five new cases bring Florida's total of locally transmitted Zika infections to 42.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week urged pregnant women to avoid areas of Miami Beach and Wynwood where mosquitoes are believed to be spreading the virus, which can cause birth defects.

CDC chief Tom Frieden also said pregnant women and their partners may want to consider avoiding Miami-Dade County entirely.

Zika can be spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, or by sexual contact.

In four out of five cases, those who are infected show no symptoms.

Others may experience a rash, pink eye, and body pain -- all of which clear up within a week to 10 days.

However, the virus is particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it can cross the placenta and infect the baby's developing brain, leading to a condition known as microcephaly.

One mosquito bite could rapidly fuel the spread.

Whenever a mosquito bites someone with Zika, they pick up the virus. As they bite someone, that person likely gets it.

This is most likely the way the virus has spread out of the original outbreak zone - Wynwood - to Miami Beach.

A spokesman for the National Health Institute warned on Sunday that the virus will probably stay floating around the US for another couple of years.

'It would not be surprising we would see additional cases perhaps in other Gulf Coast states,' Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the allergy and infectious diseases unit of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in an interview on Sunday morning with ABC News.

The possibility of transmission in Gulf States such as Louisiana and Texas will likely fuel concerns that the virus could spread across the continental United States, even though officials have played down such an outcome.

Scientists are still learning about the impacts of the virus on adults and healthy children.

The most severe effect of the disease that we know of currently is its impact on unborn babies, causing severe birth defects including microcephaly.

On Monday, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine asked for more federal resources to combat the spread of the Zika virus in South Florida.

The mayor said 'we need the federal government to step up' at a news conference Monday.

President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency funds in February to develop a vaccine and control the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

But Republicans tied the funding to a dispute over abortion, and lawmakers left Washington for a seven-week recess without approving the money.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3755043/Fears-Zika-spreads-HUNDREDS-miles-away-Patient-diagnosed-local-infection-5-hours-Miami.html

niman · August 23, 2016

HEALTH

ZIKA VIRUS OUTBREAK

AUG 23 2016, 12:58 PM ET

New Zika Outbreak Found in Florida's St. Petersburg

by MAGGIE FOX

Florida's got a third outbreak of Zika virus, this one on the Gulf coast, state officials said Tuesday.

At least one person has been infected locally in Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Gov. Rick Scott said. And the state reported four more cases in Wynwood, an area north of Miami where the first continental U.S. Zika outbreak was seen.

Image: Miami Neighborhood Battles Outbreak Of Zika Virus — ames Bernat and Michelle Albelo, City of Miami police officers, give out cans of insect repellent as they help people near the Miami Rescue Mission prevent mosquito bites that may infect them with the Zika virus on August 2, in Miami, Fla. A reported 14 individuals have been infected with the Zika virus by local mosquitoes. Joe Raedle / Getty Images

"Today, we learned that the Florida Department of Health is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County," Scott said.

In all, 42 people have caught Zika in Florida, and not from travelers.

Related: Images Show Zika's Destruction of Babies' Brains

"While this investigation is ongoing, DOH (the Department of Health) still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach."

Testing can show that someone is actively infected with Zika, or it can show that someone was infected in the past and has recovered. When a doctor reports a patient with Zika infection, health officials then try to test people living with or near that patient to see if they're infected, too.

If people are actively infected, and haven't traveled to another Zika-affected area, that suggests active local transmission. If they have antibodies to the virus but are not currently infected, that could support the idea that active transmission is not still going on.

One case doesn't technically make for an outbreak, but if a person was infected and has had no contact with a traveler from an affected area, it strongly suggests mosquitoes locally are infected and can spread the virus.

Related: Should I Worry About Zika?

Scott has said he is worried about the effect of Zika on local businesses and especially on tourism. Florida's popular Miami Beach, including parts of South Beach, are at the center of one of the outbreaks.

"In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts," Scott said.

"Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities."

South Florida provides a nearly year-round home to the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread Zika. That species has been reported in 26 statesand Washington, D.C. A related species, Aedes albopictus, can also spread Zika and it's found in 40 states.

People also spread Zika virus. A mosquito gets infected by biting an infected person -- they cannot fly very far. People can also spread the virus sexually.

Related: Rare Zika Complication Hots 30 in Puerto Rico

With 40 million people traveling back and forth to Latin America by air every year, health experts say, that makes the odds of someone carrying Zika back very high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reports of more than 2,200 travel-related cases of Zika --with many thousands more almost certainly having gone unreported. And 529 pregnant women have been infected.

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/new-zika-outbreak-found-florida-s-st-petersburg-n636571

niman · August 23, 2016

Florida probes non-travel Zika case on Gulf Coast

Tuesday, August 23, 2016 | 12:27 PM

FLORIDA, United States (AFP) — Officials are investigating a new non-travel related case of Zika virus near the port city of Tampa, suggesting the local spread of Zika in Florida may have reached the state's Gulf Coast, the governor said Tuesday.

A statement from Governor Rick Scott's office said only that the Florida Department of Health "is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County," but did not say where and gave no further details.

Pinellas County includes the cities of Clearwater and St Petersburg -- both of which are west of Tampa -- about 300 miles (480 kilometres) northwest of Miami.

The Department of Health (DOH) "has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County and mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also taking place," said a statement from Scott's office.

Florida Announces Zika Case Hundreds of Miles from Miami

The virus appears to have been acquired locally

August 23, 2016

6BDC12E2-3396-43BC-AA90F8033D285293.jpg? — *Credit: USDA, Flickr*

By Julie Steenhuysen

Florida officials on Tuesday announced the first case of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Pinellas County, located some 265 miles (425 km) from Miami, where the first locally transmitted U.S. cases were reported.

Steve Huard, acting spokesman for Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, said the case involves a woman without a significant travel history, indicating the virus was contracted locally.

He did not know the timeline on the case, only that it had been confirmed within the past day. He did not have any more details on the patient's illness.

"At this point, it’s a single case. It’s a one off,” Huard said. “We don’t know where it originated, and we are doing appropriate testing and medical surveillance.”

Florida Governor Rick Scott said the state department of health has begun door-to-door outreach in Pinellas County, testing individuals to find other cases.

Pinellas County is home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and a number of Gulf Coast beaches that are popular tourist destinations.

Scott said the health department and Pinellas County Mosquito Control have begun "aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts," and he said any pregnant woman who wants a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the health department.

The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.

Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active in the popular tourist destination, becoming the second area in Miami to be affected after Wynwood.

Mara Gambineri, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health said the department believes ongoing local transmission is only occurring in the small areas identified in Miami-Dade County.

On Tuesday, Florida also announced four new cases of Zika in the Wynwood neighborhood, where officials have been aggressively spraying for the mosquitoes that carry the virus for weeks.

Gambineri said in an email the cases of individuals in Wynwood experienced Zika symptoms in mid-July, prior to the start of an aerial spraying campaign. Gambineri said the cases were only announced today because the individuals required antibody testing to rule out other mosquito-borne illness, such as dengue and Chikungunya.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said Florida needs to make it clear that "anywhere these mosquitoes are present is at risk.”

Adalja said while knowing the exact area of transmission is important for issuing travel warnings to pregnant women, he said the entire state needs to be vigilant.

Adalja expects multiple counties in Florida will be affected, as well as areas in Texas and Louisiana, though these outbreaks will be limited to discreet areas.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/florida-announces-zika-case-hundreds-of-miles-from-miami/

niman · August 23, 2016

Florida politicians respond to Zika's spread in Tampa Bay
Michael AuslenMichael Auslen, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Tuesday, August 23, 2016 4:04pm

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After Gov. Rick Scott confirmed Tuesday morning that someone became infected by Zika in Pinellas County, Florida politicians weighed in, largely calling on Congress to pass additional emergency money to fight the virus.

"For this virus endangering Floridians to now spread unabated to Pinellas County is inexcusable. Lives are in danger, particularly expectant mothers, children, and women planning to have children. We need clear solutions to this serious problem. First, Speaker Ryan must bring Congress back to Washington to do their job and pass a clean funding bill. Then, Florida must expand Medicaid to cover the 200,000 women in the coverage gap without access to affordable healthcare and who are at risk." --Former Gov. Charlie Crist

"Florida is at risk and Washington is tone deaf. Today’s news of a locally transmitted case of Zika in Pinellas County is another alarm that should prompt leadership to call members back to DC to address this public health issue. As a representative of a frontline state dealing with the Zika outbreak, I fully understand the serious public health risk this virus presents. But we must address this issue now, responsibly and without playing politics. This is a public health issue, not a political issue." --U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Indian Shores

“The time for warnings and discussions about a potential public health crisis due to Zika is long past – the Congress must act. President Obama called on Congress six months ago to pass an emergency response package. Instead, House Republicans blocked meaningful action and then adjourned for the summer. My neighbors in Pinellas County and all Floridians need every tool to keep them safe as the Zika virus spreads. I urge House Republicans and Speaker Paul Ryan to reconvene the Congress immediately to pass an emergency Zika response package that can expedite necessary vaccines, diagnostic tests and development of the registry to track pregnant women who contract the Zika virus." --U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa

“Every day Congress remains in recess is a day wasted in the fight to protect Florida families from Zika. I have consistently fought for President Obama’s $1.9 billion emergency funding request and have demanded that Congress immediately return from recess to pass this funding. But on this global health crisis that directly impacts our state, Marco Rubio didn’t care until it was too late, and it’s not clear that he cares now." --U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter

"Marco has supported every single Zika funding proposal that has come up in the Senate and has called on Congress to return to Washington immediately to address this public health and economic emergency. Patrick Murphy owes Floridians an explanation for why he's the only candidate in this race who has repeatedly voted against every Zika funding measure that has come before him in Congress." -- Michael Ahrens, a spokesman for Sen. Marco Rubio

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/florida-politicians-respond-to-zikas-spread-in-tampa-bay/2290661?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

niman · August 23, 2016

Florida: 5 new Zika cases including 1 in the Tampa Bay area

By TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday announced a non-travel-related case of Zika in the Tampa Bay region.

It's the first in the state outside the Miami area, but Scott said there wasn't enough evidence to date to declare a new zone of local transmission.

If Department of Health officials conclude mosquitoes have transmitted the disease to people in the Tampa Bay area of Pinellas County, it would the third such area in the continental U.S. following clusters of cases traced to downtown Miami's Wynwood arts district and a touristy area of Miami Beach.

"While this investigation is ongoing, DOH still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach," Scott said in a statement.

Scott spoke during a Zika roundtable in the Pinellas County city of Clearwater, near Tampa. He also said four new cases were connected to mosquitoes in Miami's Wynwood arts district. A fifth new case was diagnosed in a Pinellas County resident who hasn't traveled internationally.

Officials are looking into the possibility that the Pinellas County resident was infected with the virus in a neighboring county. Health officials wouldn't say where the Pinellas resident lives.

Zika can cause severe brain-related birth defects, including a dangerously small head, if women are infected during pregnancy.

Dr. Charles Lockwood, the dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida and the senior vice president of USF Health, said that "out of an abundance of caution," all pregnant women in the Tampa Bay area should use condoms with their partners until health officials determine if certain neighborhoods are affected by Zika.

"Until we can narrow down with great precision the neighborhoods infected, we have to assume every pregnant woman is at risk in Pinellas and Hillsborough until you can say it's a specific neighborhood," he said. "I believe that it's also time for physicians in this area to start testing pregnant women in this area for the virus."

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, whose city sits across the bay from Pinellas County, said Tuesday that he isn't waiting for federal, state or county officials to act.

Buckhorn said he's authorized city officials to buy 4,000 mosquito "dunks," or small, doughnut-shaped pellets. Code enforcement officers will comb the city, looking for abandoned or foreclosed homes with pools and drop the dunks into the water. The pellets kill mosquito larvae for up to 30 days.

"We're aware of the impact Zika could have on restaurants and tourism in the city and the state," the mayor said. "I'm not going to wait for either Congress to reconvene or any other agency to dictate the health and safety and welfare of my citizens."

___

Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush

http://www.koaa.com/story/32825041/florida-5-new-zika-cases-including-1-in-the-tampa-bay-area

niman · August 23, 2016

Zika Spreads in Florida With New Case in St. Petersburg Area

Sarah Begley @SCBegley

5:06 PM ET

So far, 42 people have been found to be infected with Zika in Florida

Five new cases of Zika have been reported in Florida, including one in theSt. Petersburg area.

At least one person has contracted the disease in Pinellas County, Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday according to NBC News. Outbreaks have previously been found in Miami Beach and Wynwood, where four more people were reported infected on Tuesday. So far, 42 people have been found to be infected with Zika in Florida, all of them seemingly contracting the virus through non-travel-related incidents. These cases indicate that local mosquitos are now carrying the disease in the region; Zika can also be sexually transmitted.

Gov. Scott said, “In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts.” He added that pregnant women can contact local officials for free Zika testing and prevention kits.

[NBC News]

http://time.com/4463577/zika-florida-st-petersburg/

niman · August 23, 2016

Non_travel_related_case_of_Zika_in_Pinel

first_non_travel_related_zika_case_in_pi

WFTS

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Florida Department of Health is now investigating five new non-travel related cases of Zika in the State of Florida. One of the five cases is in Pinellas County and the other four are in the impacted area of Wynwood.

Governor Scott held a roundtable discussion on Tuesday morning in Clearwater. During the discussion, he announced that the Department of Health has begun door-to-door outreach and sampling in Pinellas County. Mosquito abatement and reduction activities are also underway.

ZIKA TRACKER | Interactive map & graphic show confirmed and locally transmitted Zika virus cases

Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, we learned that the Florida Department of Health is investigating one new individual with non-travel related Zika in Pinellas County. While this investigation is ongoing, DOH still believes that ongoing active transmissions are only occurring in the two previously identified areas in Wynwood and Miami Beach. As we’ve seen in Wynwood, our aggressive mosquito control and public education efforts are working which is why DOH was able to clear a significant area in Wynwood today, bringing the total cleared area to 76 blocks. This means that we have now cleared half of the area in Wynwood where we believe ongoing active transmission of Zika is occurring. This is great news and we hope to continue reducing this area.

“In Pinellas County, the Department of Health and Pinellas County Mosquito Control are already working together and have begun aggressive spraying and mosquito abatement efforts. Any pregnant woman who would like to receive a free Zika test or a Zika prevention kit should contact the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County. We remain fully committed to ensuring that every county has all of the resources they need to combat this virus and stand ready to assist residents and visitors in the impacted communities.”

According to the DOH, a travel-related case means the person acquired the Zika Virus outside of Florida. A non-travel related case means the person acquired the virus somewhere in Florida.

It is not clear when, where or how the person became infected.

Health officials did say the individuals has traveled to multi Bay area counties for work and family activities.

"Unfortunately ,there is no magic formula to determining or predicting when exposure may occur," said Dr. Celeste Philip, Florida's Surgeon General.

As of right now, health officials have no evidence proving this was locally transmitted.

And, they do not believe area mosquitoes are infected with the virus and transmitting it to people.

We can say that there has not been on going transmission around the places where that person most frequently visits," Philip added.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/fla-dept-of-health-investigating-non-travel-related-case-of-zika-virus-in-pinellas-county

niman · October 2, 2016

Pinnellas Zika sequece ZM 39 identified. Map Update

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=1FlIB7hHnVgGD9TlbSx5HwAj-PEQ

niman · October 2, 2016

Full Phylo tree with ZM 39

niman · October 2, 2016

ENV Phylo Tree

Local Zika Case Pinellas County Florida

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